A CASE OF TETANUS. 
136 
of a pulmonic nature, and, under that impression, drew blood, 
and administered a ball containing two scruples of hellebore, 
with directions to bind flannel around the animal’s legs, and ad¬ 
minister a second ball the same evening. - 
Next day I visited the horse myself. I then perceived signs of 
rigidity about the head and neck, and the tail was erect; he also 
moved with evident stiffness: in a word, I found it was undoubtedly 
a case of locked jaw. All the account of him which I could collect 
w r as, that the horse was led as usual to his master at the door, three 
or four days before I was called in, on which occasion the groom no¬ 
ticed to Mr. J-that the animal moved with unusual sluggish¬ 
ness, and seemed to have a singular gait in the hind legs in parti¬ 
cular. On this account the groom was ordered to lead him back 
into his stable, and take some blood ; Mr. J-conceiving that 
this timeful evacuation would rectify all his apparent disorder by 
the following day or two. On being made acquainted with the 
animal’s hopeless condition, he wished me to take him to the 
infirmary; to w T hich I objected, on account of the distance. 
However, his owner over-ruled this ; and, accordingly, the horse 
was led over, and without experiencing any inconvenience or 
aggravation of symptoms from the journey. Indeed, neither the 
respiration nor the pulse seemed to have been at all hurried by 
the exertion, which I thought extraordinary. 
At two p.m., as soon as he was lodged in his box, two drachms 
of hellebore, in combination with half an ounce of aloes, were 
given to him in a ball; and his legs, which were very cold, were 
blistered and bandaged with flannel; also, he was warmly 
clothed, and his food consisted of bran-mashes and oatmeal 
i 
day .—At eight o’clock, a.m., two drachms of aloes, the same 
quantity of opium, and one drachm of hellebore, were mixed 
together, and given to him ; the spasm of the jaws had, however, 
so much increased, as to render the administration of the ball 
exceedingly difficult: in fact, it could only be given at last by di¬ 
viding it, and making use of a stick for the purpose. In the 
course of the day he lay dovm much. 
4 th day .—This morning he took the same ball as yesterday, 
with the addition of tw T o drachms of aloes. At night the animal 
was seized w 7 ithafit of irritation, sweating profusely, and foaming 
copiously at the mouth, probably from the effect of the large 
doses of hellebore. 
5th day .—This morning there appeared to be some alteration 
for the better : though the spasms continued, still there w 7 as al¬ 
together an aspect of amelioration. His appetite has improved 
also. Ball continued. 
In the evening, a paroxysm of the same kind as that which 
